Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder Yusra Khogali has claimed that “white skin is sub-human.” While her anger is understandable, her comments have been widely condemned, raising questions about racism, prejudice, and what is and isn’t suitable for the BLM movement.
A Deleted Post
Khogali’s social media post has now been deleted. Regardless, it has since resurfaced and her comments have caused an online uproar. She boldly asserted that “White people are a genetic defect of blackness” and that “whiteness is not humxness.” Khogali likely replaced the “A” in “human” with an “X” to challenge traditional norms and the patriarchy.
Sub-Human Recessive Genetic Defects
Khogali also said that White people are “sub-humxn” and claimed they have “recessive genetic defects.” She also alleged that melanin is vital for strength, intelligence, creativity, and sensory abilities.
Racism and Prejudice
While it’s easy to label Khogali’s remarks as “racist,” it’s important to remember that racism transcends mere prejudiced words. Racism is systemic, seeping into and infecting every area of society. It’s structural, with an entire system built around it. Because of this, many people argue that White people cannot be subjected to racism as they are the ones holding the power, the ones who built the system. Regardless, anyone can be a victim of prejudice – including White people.
Movement vs. Organization
It’s also important to understand that Khogali’s comments do not reflect the opinions of the entire Black Lives Matter movement. BLM is just that – a movement, not an organization. There is no leader and no manifesto. Every individual who supports it has their own ideas, their own opinions, and their own values. At its core, supporting Black Lives Matter is simply believing that Black lives are just as important as White lives.
Black Lives Matter Toronto
Regardless, all BLM supporters have one thing in common – a desire to dismantle systemic and structural racism once and for all. Thinking of BLM as an organization with a leader and a hard-set list of beliefs would be akin to thinking of vegetarianism as such. To be clear, Khogali is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto – not the BLM movement.
The Issue of White Fragility
“White fragility” is a term that refers to the discomfort and defensiveness some White people express when discussing issues like racism. While it’s entirely natural to become defensive upon being referred to as “sub-human,” it’s important to consider what horrors have led Khogali to think this way.
Gaslighting and Ignorance
When someone is subjected to racism every single day and White people repeatedly shut them down and gaslight them when they try to discuss it, it makes sense that they’d eventually let their very valid anger get the better of them and make controversial comments like Khogali’s.
The Horrifying Statistics
As hurtful as Khogali’s comments may be, it’s important to remember that they are mere words. Black people in the U.S. are over two times more likely than White people to be shot and killed by the police. Moreover, job applicants with names that White employers perceive to be “Black” have to apply to twice as many jobs to receive a callback.
Black Men and Prison
If the aforementioned statistics weren’t bad enough, Black men – on average – receive prison sentences that are 20% longer than White men who commit similar crimes. When people say that bigoted comments about White people are prejudice and not racism, this is what they mean.
The Internet’s Response
Naturally, Khogali’s remarks ignited a storm of online rage. One commenter said: “BLM Toronto ought to replace her or at least reign her in. She could get engagement on 95% of what she says. I, a White person, agree with a lot of it. As someone who wants to support BLM, I’m fine with sitting out of the discussions that affect Black Canadians. I can take the rightful accusation of privilege. It’s fair.”
Supporting the BLM Mission
Another person wrote: “I definitely support BLM and their mission but every time I looked at an article about Toronto BLM and it was about her, it made me shake my head in disbelief that BLM would allow such a volatile individual to be their public face. She has done nothing but alienate the public against their movement.”
Testing the Limits of Allyship
Others expressed concerns about Khogali’s comments feeding White paranoia: “She certainly seems to be testing the limits of my BLM allyship. There are grains of truth to what she is saying. I’m White and I am struggling with understanding what the strategy is behind this.”
Feeding the Fear
The commenter continued: “Sure, shock value alone is raising awareness and discourse. My concern is that it strengthens the dominant beast of times – polarization. White people’s paranoia is growing super fast and this type of statement feeds this fear.”
Trolling for Fame
Some people speculated about Khogali’s intentions. One such individual wrote: “Honestly, the odds of somebody being this ignorant today are pretty slim. My money says this individual is just trolling her way to fame and fortune.”
An Evolutionary Explanation
Others attempted to correct Khogali: “Light skin was an evolutionary adaptation to living in colder, darker environments. The lack of pigmentation helps keep people from developing vitamin D deficiencies in areas of low UV radiation.”
A Hate Group
One individual accused Khogali of turning Black Lives Matter Toronto into a hate group. They wrote: “So she’s turning a movement that began to address the poor treatment of minorities by the police into a hate group. Good job.”
Slavery in Canada
Some people clearing didn’t know much about history. “We never even had slavery in Canada. There is no reason for BLM to exist,” one commenter wrote. “Of course there was slavery in Canada! It may not have been anywhere near the scale of the U.S. but there is historical documentation of slaves in Canada,” another hit back.
Ruining Chances of Equality
Another person said: “People like Khogali really do not help. She is allowed to be upset and angry but this is just too much. We need support and this is not how we get it. I fear people like her will ruin our chances of achieving equality.”
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